Persons Below Poverty Level in the U.S., 1975–2010

The following table shows the number and percent of people in the
United States living below the poverty level for the years 1975 to 2007.
Data also includes the number and percent of people living below the
poverty level by race: white, black, and of Hispanic origin.

(in thousands)

Year

Allpersons

Percent

White

Percent

Black

Percent

Hispanicorigin1

Percent

Asian and
Pac. Isl.

Percent

1975

25,877

12.3%

17,770

9.7%

7,545

31.3%

2,991

26.9%

n.a.

n.a.

1976

24,975

11.8

16,713

9.1

7,595

31.1

2,783

24.7

n.a.

n.a.

1977

24,720

11.6

16,416

8.9

7,726

31.3

2,700

22.4

n.a.

n.a.

1978

24,497

11.4

16,259

8.7

7,625

30.6

2,607

21.6

n.a.

n.a.

1979

26,072

11.7

17,214

9.0

8,050

31.0

2,921

21.8

n.a.

n.a.

1980

29,272

13.0

19,699

10.2

8,579

32.5

3,491

25.7

n.a.

n.a.

1981

31,822

14.0

21,553

11.1

9,173

34.2

3,713

26.5

n.a.

n.a.

1982

34,398

15.0

23,517

12.0

9,697

35.6

4,301

29.9

n.a.

n.a.

1983

35,303

15.2

23,984

12.1

9,882

35.7

4,633

28.0

n.a.

n.a.

1984

33,700

14.4

22,955

11.5

9,490

33.8

4,806

28.4

n.a.

n.a.

1985

33,064

14.0

22,860

11.4

8,926

31.3

5,236

29.0

n.a.

n.a.

1986

32,370

13.6

22,183

11.0

8,983

31.1

5,117

27.3

n.a.

n.a.

1987

32,221

13.4

21,195

10.4

9,520

32.4

5,422

28.0

1,021

16.1%

1988

31,745

13.0

20,715

10.1

9,356

31.3

5,357

26.7

1,117

17.3

1989

31,528

12.8

20,785

10.0

9,302

30.7

5,430

26.2

939

14.1

1990

33,585

13.5

22,326

10.7

9,837

31.9

6,006

28.1

858

12.2

1991

35,708

14.2

23,747

11.3

10,242

32.7

6,339

28.7

996

13.8

1992

38,014

14.8

25,259

11.9

10,827

33.4

7,592

29.6

985

12.7

1993

39,265

15.1

26,226

12.2

10,877

33.1

8,126

30.6

1,134

15.3

1994

38,059

14.5

25,379

11.7

10,196

30.6

8,416

30.7

974

14.6

1995

36,425

13.8

24,423

11.2

9,872

29.3

8,574

30.3

1,411

14.6

1996

36,529

13.7

24,650

11.2

9,694

28.4

8,697

29.4

1,454

14.5

1997

35,574

13.3

24,396

11.0

9,116

26.5

8,308

27.1

1,468

14.0

1998

34,476

12.7

23,454

10.5

9,091

26.1

8,070

25.6

1,360

12.5

1999

32,791

11.9

22,169

9.8

8,441

23.6

7,876

22.7

1,163

10.7

2000

31,581

11.3

21,645

9.5

7,982

22.5

7,747

21.5

1,226

10.8

2001

32,907

11.7

22,739

9.9

8,136

22.7

7,997

21.4

1,275

10.2

2002

34,570

12.1

23,466

10.2

8,602

24.1

8,555

21.8

1,1612

10.1

2003

35,861

12.5

24,272

10.5

8,781

24.4

9,051

22.5

1,401

11.8

2004

37,040

12.7

25,327

10.8

9,014

24.7

9,122

21.9

1,209

9.8

2005

36,950

12.6

24,8723

10.6

9,1684

24.9

9,368

21.8

1,402

11.1

2006

36,460

12.3

24,416

10.3

9,048

24.3

9,243

20.6

1,447

10.1

2007

37,276

12.5

25,120

10.5

9,237

24.5

9,890

21.5

1,467

10.2

2008

39,829

13.2

26,990

11.2

9,379

24.7

10,987

23.2

1,576

1.8

2009

43,569

14.3

29,830

12.3

9,944

25.8

12,350

25.3

1,746

12.5

2010

46,180

15.1

31,650

31.0

10,675

27.4

13,243

26.6

1,729

12.1

n.a. = not available.

1. Persons of Hispanic origin may be of
any race.

2. For years 2002–2005, figures
refer to people who reported Asian and did not report any other race
category.

3. The 2003 Current Population Survey
allowed respondents to choose more than one race. White alone refers to
people who reported White and did not report any other race
category.

4. Black alone refers to people who
reported Black and did not report any other race.

5. Asian alone refers to people who
reported Asian and did not report any other race.